Why did Real Madrid’s fatigued midfield cause their catastrophic downfall against Ajax?

Since Real Madrid had last been eliminated from the Champions League, 1,393 days had passed. With a 2-1 first leg lead, it should have been simple for Real Madrid to see out their last 16 tie with Ajax. Instead, the Dutch side sprang a shock at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu to inflict a first Champions League elimination in almost four years.

Hakim Ziyech struck early on the counter to strike fear into the hearts of Madridistas across the globe, only for their nightmares to become a reality when David Neres struck again on just 18 minutes to double Ajaxs lead and put them into a position to go through. As Real Madrid pushed for a goal, Dusan Tadic punished them with a wonderful strike to make it 3-0. Marco Asensio pulled one back, but Lasse Schones lobbed free-kick over Thibaut Courtois sentenced the tie for good.

Our tactical analysis will use statistics to identify what key points Real Madrids Santiago Solari can take from the game.

Lineups

There were no surprises in either teams selection on Tuesday evening. For Solari, the biggest challenge came from injuries to Vinicius Junior and Lucas Vazquez in the first half, rather than the self-inflicted suspension for Sergio Ramos which saw Nacho take his place in the heart of defence.

Ajax lined up as expected, with future Barcelona player Frenkie De Jong receiving a unique Estadio Santiago Bernabeu welcome.

An absent midfield

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